Importance of the shoreline diversity features for littoral macroinvertebrate assemblages

Lake shorelines are commonly affected by human-induced activities, with possible impacts on the ecological quality of littoral zones. This study assessed the importance of shoreline habitat features for littoral macroinvertebrate assemblages in six Irish lakes, of similar depth and size but varying along gradients of total phosphorus and alkalinity. Macroinvertebrate communities, sampled in proportion to local mesohabitats, were related to features of habitat diversity recorded by the Lake Habitat Survey (LHS), but moderated by nutrient (TP) concentrations, alkalinity, lake area, and hydromorphological pressures. When these moderating effects were accounted for, the results of partial canonical correspondence analysis (pCCA) revealed that of particular relevance to littoral macroinvertebrate communities were LHS attributes of: macrophytes extended lakewards; the diversity of littoral features; presence/absence of complex riparian vegetation; and the total number of macrophyte types.